Too Many Possibilities

I did a "Career Scope" assessment at the unemployment office yesterday afternoon. It showed some very interesting stuff, of course!

What really showed was that I'm running into a glass ceiling of sorts -- I need a Bachelor's degree to advance.

I'd already seen that in many of the positions I've applied to, where my experience was being counted as the last 2 years of college toward that degree - and I still had plenty of years left to count toward the experience buffer!

So, I figured out a Bachelor's degree again last night. Then, after figuring out it will take 3 years with full summer course loads, and not getting any break in that time, I figured out the costs...

That broke it! There doesn't seem to be any way to get around $80K to be lower. I just can't take on that level of debt at this time in my life. If I were younger - say 20 years or so, and felt I could pay it back, then I would.

But I've only got 10-15 years left to my work life. Period. That's too much debt. At this time in my life, I should be saving like crazy instead of paying out like crazy.

If I could do anything to shorten the time frame, that would help a lot. Nothing I've found can shorten it. I've tried interdiscipinary degrees, math, psychology, english, and general degrees. I've tried BA and BS degrees. I have an AS in math. I've done all the basics. With no minor, sticking with my original major, it's over 5 years. It's too much time, with not enough return.

So, after 60, when I don't have to pay for tuition, I'll still have books. But then, maybe... I'll pursue something I love and see where that leaves me at the end of life.

Maybe art or history. Maybe creative writing.